A Young Maiden's Daybook Entry #5!

Please head on over to Alexandra's blog to participate! Today is… Monday, March 2nd, 2009(am I the only one that can't believe it's already March?? :))

Outside my window…our hummingbird feeder is blowing in the wind. I can't wait until those darling little birds will be back to eat!

I am thinking…about all the devotionals I want to write on passages in Proverbs.

I am wearing...a black sweater with an aqua colored skirt.

I am reading… many books at once, of course. ;) They include: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife by Bill Potter, God and Government Vol. 3 by Gary DeMar, Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth Dodds, Systematic Theology by Robert Duncan Culver(I'm studying this with Daddy), etc. Daddy is currently reading to us The Genesis Record by Henry Morris, and Spurgeon: A New Biography by Arnold Dallimore. As for what books I'm reading in the Bible: 2nd Corinthians, Psalms, Genesis and Proverbs(among other various individual passages).

I am creating… this blog post :) and the Special Announcement post I referred to in my last daybook entry!

One of my favorite things….the times of calm and quiet each evening when Daddy gathers us around him and reads to us from God's Word and other solid Christian books and has us memorize Scripture. These are such precious times! :)

For education this week… government/history, theology, writing and literature, consumer math, Apologia chemistry, growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning...using coupons and saving money at the store! This is a lot of fun! :) I love getting good deals for my family.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…just how important and beautiful it is for ladies to be meek and quiet.

A godly character trait I plan to work on…I'm still working on patience and humility!!

Scripture I am memorizing… Proverbs 31:10-31(I have been somewhat negligent to this duty lately); This week Daddy is leading us in memorizing 2 Timothy 3:16 and Joshua 1:8 (KJV). It's so wonderful to see the four of us memorizing God's Word together; this is precious family time, no doubt!

I am praying for… Various family and church requests, prayer for God's guidance as to how this blog will be arranged and led this year, His guidance as to some projects that I feel He has laid on my heart-I pray that He would truly reveal His will to me.

For the rest of the week… I plan to be writing for this blog, Lord willing. I have school, will(Lord willing) be responding to the numerous blog comments and e-mails that I haven't gotten around to yet, will be busy caring for my family, working on special little somethings-read announcement posts- :)etc. We're definitely staying busy. :)

A picture I’d like to share… is this:

I thought it was very pretty and delightfully feminine! :)

A Young Maiden's Daybook Entry #4!

As you can see, I am a day late in posting this! :( I was attempting to post it yesterday, but blogger wasn't allowing me to post the pictures for some reason. I'm sorry for the delay, but hope you enjoy! :)

Today is… Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Outside my window…is a view of the beautiful, calm blue sky the Lord has richly blessed us with today.

I am thinking…about all the countless article ideas I have floating around in my head(and when I'll be able to finally write them all!), and what a desperate situation of judgment this country finds itself in as it drifts farther and farther away from God's Word! Christians, it is high time for us to stand up and teach this lost and dying world the truths of God's Word, the Bible!

I am thankful for…the freedom we still enjoy in this country, although it is quickly diminishing and will continue to unless we Christians do something about it, and actually take the Dominion Mandate and Great Commission seriously!

I am wearing…my ankle length denim skirt and a green top.

I am reading… many books at once, of course. ;) They include: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife by Bill Potter, God and Government Vol. 3 by Gary DeMar, Waiting for Her Isaac(for the second time!) by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Castleberry, Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth Dodds, Systematic Theology by Robert Duncan Culver(I'm studying this with Daddy), and The Potter's Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal of Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free by James White. The past couple weeks have not provided me with much time for reading anything apart from books I'm reading for my education(although, all books we read educate us, of course, but I was referring to those I'm specifically reading for homeschool! :))-that's why this list looks pretty much the same week after week. As for what books I'm reading in the Bible: 2nd Corinthians, Psalms and Proverbs(among other various passages).

I am creating… this blog post :) and the Special Announcement post I referred to in my last daybook entry! I can't wait to share with you my news! :)

One of my favorite things…the fellowship meals at my church! :) What fun, blessed times we enjoy together as a likeminded church family! I'm very thankful for these times and for the close, loving family the Lord has placed us into.

For education this week… government/history, theology, writing and literature, consumer math, Apologia chemistry, growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning...sewing (especially sewing special little somethings that I will speak of in my annoucement post! :))

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…the importance of using every moment of every day for God's glory and the furthering of His Kingdom.

A godly character trait I plan to work on…patience and humility!! I'm really lacking in these areas.

Scripture I am memorizing… Proverbs 31:10-31; Daddy had us memorize-as a family-2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 2:20(KJV) last week. This week he is leading us in memorizing Romans 12:1 and John 14:21(KJV). I'm enjoying this very much, and am thankful that my dear father is helping us to hide God's Word in our hearts!

I am praying for… Various family and church requests, and that the Lord would burden me with just how lost the world is and just how little time I have on this earth to reach it for Christ.

For the rest of the week… I plan to be writing for this blog, Lord willing. I have school, will(Lord willing) be responding to the numerous blog comments and e-mails that I haven't gotten around to yet, will be busy caring for my family, attending a baby shower on Friday for a lady in our church, etc.

A picture I’d like to share… is this:

I encourage you to memorize this! It's a truth that we should meditate on day and night.

God bless you!

Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat 2009!!

I am so excited that this years retreat will be here soon! Daddy and I have had such a fun, blessed time at the past two retreats, and are so looking forward to this one!

I was wondering: will any of my readers be attending the retreat this year? If so, maybe we could meet! It would be such a blessing to meet some of you likeminded ladies, so please send me an e-mail or leave me a comment to let me know if you'll be there!

Registration is still available, so click here for more info on the retreat, and to join in on the discipleship, edification, special father daughter time, and fun!

A Young Maiden's Daybook Entry #3!

Today is… Monday, February 16th, 2009 (I can't believe we're already half way through February!!)

Outside my window…the sun is shining beautifully!

I am thinking…about all the countless article ideas I have floating around in my head!

I am thankful for…this day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it! :)

I am wearing…my ankle length denim skirt and an aqua colored top.

I am reading… many books at once, of course. ;) They include: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife by Bill Potter, God and Government Vol. 3 by Gary DeMar, Jeff McLean: His Courtship(for the second time!) by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Castleberry, Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth Dodds, Systematic Theology by Robert Duncan Culver(I'm studying this with Daddy), and The Potter's Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal of Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free by James White. As for what books I'm reading in the Bible: Hebrews, Psalms and Proverbs(among other various passages).

I am creating… this blog post :) and some other special somethings that I can't tell you all about yet! ;) Special annoucement post coming soon!

One of my favorite things…loaves of homemade bread...yum! :)

For education this week… government/history, theology, writing and literature, consumer math, Apologia chemistry

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning...cutting out and using coupons

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…the huge importance of praying without ceasing!

A godly character trait I plan to work on… being more discreet and quiet!

Scripture I am memorizing… Proverbs 31:10-31; also, Daddy is coming up with various Scriptures that he wants us to memorize as a family. We'll be memorizing approximately 2 passages per week. I'm not sure which ones he will have us start on, though! I'm really looking forward to this! :)

I am praying for… Various family and church requests, and that the Lord would make me into true salt and light in this dark, lost world. I pray that His hand would be on me, and that He would use me in amazing ways for His glory and the furtherance of His Kingdom.

For the rest of the week… I plan to be writing for this blog, Lord willing. I have school, will(Lord willing) be responding to the numerous blog comments and e-mails that I haven't gotten around to yet, will be busy caring for my family, helping to plan a baby shower for a lady in our church :), etc.

A picture I’d like to share… is this:

This beautiful photo makes me think of Jane Austen's books(and their movie adaptations!). How I would have loved to live in that era, enjoying long walks along the countryside, wearing beautiful gowns, etc. What bliss! :)

A Beautiful Valentine's Day Celebration!

I originally posted this article for the first time last Valentine's Day. I'm posting it again this year in the hopes that it will serve to be an encouragement and blessing to all of you!

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This post is dedicated to all of those dear and precious ladies who are committed to complete purity and chastity. You ladies may find yourselves "alone" by the world's standards on this Valentine's Day, but I hope this post encourages you and lifts your spirits, by showing you that the true Lover of your Souls is right by your side on this holiday! I hope that you will all join with me, and will dedicate this Valentine's Day to the Lord and His glory, honor and praise!

God has placed in the heart of every maiden the longing desire to meet her Prince Charming, to be pursued by Him, and to then ride off with him into the sunset to his castle, where she will forever be loved, protected, provided for, and cherished. This is a beautiful and wonderful desire created by God Himself. But Valentine's Day only intensifies this desire all the more, and the images of red and pink hearts, of couples holding hands and going on dates, only brings to mind yet again the reality that because you're a maiden committed to courtship and complete purity, you won't be celebrating Valentine's Day with a special someone as "everyone else" will. You may begin to feel sorry for yourself, thinking that simply because you have no "special someone" this Valentine's Day, that you're somehow all alone. But there's something you must remember, dear maiden: as a Christian, you already have something that countless girls and young women only dream about and wish they had-a perfect, fulfilling, everlasting, true love. As a Christian maiden, your true Knight in Shining Armor and Prince Charming has already come and swept you off your feet! The Prince of Peace and King of Kings has pursued you relentlessly, is jealous for your full attention and dedication, is enthralled by your beauty, has showered you with His amazing love, and will one day escort you to His beautiful castle-the Mansion in Heaven that He's furnished just for you, His own precious treasure. There, you will forever be in His divine, loving presence. You, dear sister in Christ, have already been pursued by the most complete and wonderful love to ever be found-a true and perfect love that will undoubtedly last forever and ever. Only His love is able to fulfill the deepest desires of your heart, and true satisfaction comes only from Him being #1 in your life.

Ladies, don't allow this Valentine's Day to slip by. Don't discontentedly waste your time on Valentine's Day by feeling sorry for yourself and by idlely pining away for your future spouse. Instead, dedicate Valentine's Day this year to the deepening of your relationship with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the lover of your soul. Celebrate this holiday by doing everything in your power to make your relationship with Him deeper and more intimate. Make today a Valentine's Day to remember by spending it in a rendezvous with the King.

So, how about it, maidens? Will you join me this Valentine's Day, with the commitment to dedicate it to the deepening of your love and adoration for the Lord and to the strengthening of your relationship with Him? I wholeheartedly pray that you will, and that this Valentine's Day therefore becomes a day to remember and cherish always. I encourage you to begin planning now what you will do throughout the day to show the Lord how much you love Him. The following is a group of ideas to get you started:

• Compose a letter of love and thanksgiving to your Savior.

• Spend time in deep conversation with Him.

• Spend time alone with your Lord in a special place just for the two of you and read the Bible-the Lord's precious love letter to you, and enjoy drinking in the beautiful truths to be discovered in this wonderful Book.

• Find little ways to please Him by serving others today (perhaps by baking your family some special Valentine's cookies or by volunteering to babysit your siblings so that your parents can go on a special Valentine's Day date).

• Be diligent and creative to find other little special ways to please Him and to show Him your love.

• Memorize verses of God's Word that tell of His immense love for you.

• Sing praises to Him.

May the Lord richly bless you, dear ladies, and may this Valentine's Day prove to be one of the most special and precious days of your life-a day dedicated to the worship and adoration of the Lord! :)

A Young Maiden's Daybook Entry #2!

My dear new friend from the blog world, Alexandra, began this fun meme, and has chosen that those who participate do so on Mondays(if at all possible!). So, from now on, that's when I'll be posting mine! :) Enjoy(and please participate!!) Today is… Monday, February 2nd, 2009 (wow-February already!!)

Outside my window… the sun is shining brightly.

I am thinking… that I'm glad Alexandra came up with this meme! :)

I am thankful for… the amazing snow we had earlier today! Living in southern Tennessee, we don't get snow very much at all, but today for a while we had a beautiful, consistent snow fall. It didn't stick to the ground, but it was beautiful to watch the snowglobe scene unside our windows! :) Thank you for Your mercy, Lord!

I am wearing… a cream color sweater with a blue and cream long peasant-style, tiered skirt

I am reading… many books at once, of course. ;) They include: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife by Bill Potter, God and Government Vol. 3 by Gary DeMar, Jeff McLean: His Courtship(for the second time!) by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Castleberry, Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards by Elisabeth Dodds, Systematic Theology by Robert Duncan Culver(I'm studying this with Daddy), and The Potter's Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal of Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free by James White. As for what books I'm reading in the Bible: Ephesians and Psalms(among other various passages).

I am creating… this blog post :) and, with God's guidance, I'm continuing to work on my 2009 Mission Statement for this blog!

One of my favorite things… little puppies!

For education this week… government/history, theology, writing and literature, consumer math, Apologia chemistry

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning… one of my favorite things...cooking and baking!! :)

A spiritual lesson I’m learning… the huge importance of diligently studying God's Word every day.

A godly character trait I plan to work on… being more discreet and quiet!

Scripture I am memorizing… Proverbs 31:10-31

I am praying for… Various family and church requests, and that the Lord would make me into true salt and light in this dark, lost world

For the rest of the week… I plan to be writing for this blog, Lord willing. I have school, will babysit my sweet brother Andrew while Mama's at her gastroenterologist appointment on Wednesday, and I will(Lord willing) be responding to the numerous blog comments and e-mails that I haven't gotten around to yet, etc. Busy, busy, busy!! :)

A picture I’d like to share… is this :

I love that beautiful garden area, and that dress is delightfully feminine and so, so pretty!

If you'd like to participate in this meme(and I hope you do!), please click here!

A Young Maiden's Daybook Entry #1!

I recently came across this delightful little meme on one of my favorite sites, and thought it would be fun if I began posting it regularly on here. Hope you enjoy! :) Today is… Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

Outside my window… is a cute little bird in a tree!

I am thinking… that I would like all of my readers to do this meme too, and leave me links to their answers! :)

I am thankful for… the amazing grace of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ

I am wearing… a smokey blue top with a dark brown tiered skirt

I am reading…far too many books all at once yet again. lol :) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Beloved Bride: The Letters of Stonewall Jackson to His Wife by Bill Potter, God and Government Vol. 3 by Gary DeMar, The Courtship of Sarah McLean(for a second time! :)) by Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Castleberry, Marriage to a Difficult Man: The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards(GREAT book so far!) by Elisabeth Dodds, Systematic Theology by Robert Duncan Culver(I'm studying this with Daddy), etc.

I am creating… with the Lord's guidance, my blog's 2009 Mission Statement

One of my favorite things… old-fashioned movies

For education this week… consumer math, theology, history/government, creative writing/spelling, chemistry

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning… meal planning and preparation

A spiritual lesson I’m learning… the importance of praying each day(multiple times a day!) that the Lord would be glorified in me.

A godly character trait I plan to work on… having a meek and quiet spirit; I tend to be too loud and boisterous, which is wrong, and so I'm therefore seeking to honor the Lord with my demeanor

Scripture I am memorizing… Long ago, I memorized the first half of Proverbs 31:10-31. Now I'm going back and memorizing it all together-something which I should have done awhile back!

I am praying for… Various family and church requests, and that the Lord would make me into true salt and light in this dark, lost world

For the rest of the week… I plan to write a lot for this blog, Lord willing! :)

A picture I’d like to share… is this :

I thought this photo was simply precious and delightful beyond words! :)

The immense influence women have upon a nation!

I find the late President John Adams to be the writer of much truth and wisdom in this excerpt from his autobiography: (note-capitals, incorrect punctuation and spelling in the original)

"From all that I had read of History of Government, of human life and manners, I had drawn this Conclusion, that the manners of Women were the most infallible Barometer, to ascertain the degree of Morality and Virtue in a Nation. All that I have since read and all the observations I have made in different Nations, have confirmed me in this opinion. The Manners of Women, are the surest Criterion by which to determine whether a Republican Government is practicable, in a Nation or not. The Jews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Swiss, the Dutch, all lost their public Spirit, their Republican Principles and habits, and their Republican Forms of Government. when they lost the Modesty and Domestic Virtues of their Women.......

The foundations of national Morality must be laid in private Families. In vain are Schools Accademies and universities instituted, if loose Principles and licentious habits are impressed upon Children in their earliest years. The Mothers are the earliest and most important Instructors of youth....The Vices and Examples of the Parents cannot be concealed from the Children. How is it possible that Children can have any just Sense of the sacred Obligations of Morality and Religion if, from their earliest Infancy, they learn that their Mothers live in habitual Infidelity to their fathers, and their fathers in constant Infidelity to their Mothers."

~quoted in Christianity and the Constitution by Mr. John Eidsmoe

Ladies, may we truly live up to these words of wisdom, and seek to have a reforming affect on our wicked nation(wherever we may live)!

Help needed! :)

I was having some trouble with my new background. The link box that came(from the cutest blog on the block) with it and sends you to the website where I got my background was showing up right where my post titles are, causing you all to not be able to read the full titles and/or contents. Does anyone have any idea how I can move it?? I have since deleted the new backgound I had put up, because it was blocking portions of my posts.

Thank you for your help!!!!

A warm hello to you all!

Hello, dear readers! I pray that all is going well with you this week.

My family and I were blessed with a very Merry Christmas. The Lord revealed Himself to us in a new way this beloved Christmas, through my father's reading to us from a wonderful book by John MacArthur entitled God's Gift of Christmas. The entire Christmas story took on an even new and more beautiful and precious light for us. While we enjoyed exchanging gifts(as I'm sure you all did as well), what we most took joy from was in meditating on the fact of what that beloved Gift from God was on that first Christmas morning-His Son, our Savior and Lord! I am so often amazed by God's goodness in sending His Son to die for such vile, wretched sinners such as myself. His mercy overwhelms me, and His love engulfs me! What a joy it was to dwell on our God's goodness this Christmas season! It is my prayer that all of you enjoyed a Christ-filled Christmas, as well. I hope you enjoyed the Christmas dinner, family time, and presents. But what I really hope and pray for you is that you truly had Christ at the center of your Christmas. Because if we don't, Christmas means nothing-it's just another day on the calendar, no matter how special the day may have seemed. So, I pray that you all had a very Merry Christmas-a Christmas where Christ revealed Himself to you in a deeper and more wonderfully intimate way!

I would like to share with you all some updates, as well! As to my mother's health(please refer to prior blog posts, to read about her syptoms the past 8 months), she has begun seeing a new doctor who seems infinitely more wise than the others she's gone to. Praise the Lord for His goodness in directing us to this new doctor! As it is right now, we're thinking that Mama's thyroid condition is what is causing all the other syptoms-chest problems, headaches, fatigue, nausea at times, nerve system problems, etc. Because she's not on medication for the hypothyroidism, it's continuing to get worse, thus causing all the other problems. We're very thankful that the Lord has led us to this place, and we're praying that this diagnosis is indeed the true one! Please continue to pray for comfort and peace and good health for Mama, and that the Lord would give the doctor wisdom in this time.

As to my wrist, praise be to God-the cyst has not returned!!! I'm SO thankful. I've now made 3 batches of bread, begun crocheting a baby blanket, etc., and the cyst has not gone back to its large size. I do experience some pain when I perform these activities, though. This is uncomfortable and I wish I didn't have it, but if this is the Lord's will for my life, then I will be content! This slight pain and discomfort is far easier to handle than was my bad pain due to the large cyst! I'm hoping this means that my cyst will not come back, but it still could. I'll keep you all updated on what happens. Thank you all so very much for your prayers-please continue lifting them up to the Lord!

I'm currently writing my blog's 2009 Mission Statement, which I am so excited about! I will be posting it as soon as it's finished(probably for sure by Monday, I would think. But as the Lord's taught me-Deo Volente!! Lord willing!).

May our Sovereign God bless you all richly this day!

A long overdue hello and some updates!

A warm hello to all my dear readers! I've missed you all greatly; thoughts of you all often fill my mind throughout the day.

Before I give you all updates, I just wanted to thank you all so much for the caring and concerned e-mails and comments I've received from you all. The outpouring of love and sympathy has been simply overwhelming, and I'm so thankful to know that I'm in your prayers!

As for my hand/wrist, we have now, by God's grace discovered what was ailing me. We had pretty much determined that it wasn't CTS. My grandmother who had carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists gave me a wrist test for CTS and I failed it. Our suspicion then was that it was more than likely not CTS, but we still didn't know what it was. My mass pretty much completely disappeared and my pain also went away due to the fact that most of my normal activities that would overwork my wrist (i.e. writing for my blog, crocheting, kneading bread, spending time on the computer, etc.) were eliminated from my weekly schedule. I then had an appointment with a local hand and wrist specialist on Tuesday, December 16th. We were very pleased with this doctor-he was very kind, quiet and seemed very knowledgeable(I'm very thankful to the Lord for directing me to this particular doctor; it also was a blessing to learn that he attends a local conservative Presbyterian church in the downtown Chattanooga area). After doing 3 x-rays and working my hand and wrist around a lot(with my wrist popping a lot for some reason), he determined that I had been suffering from a ganglion cyst that had just gone away(which they often do when they cease to be irritated). He said that I'm free to go back to my daily activities (praise the Lord-I had really been missing all my domestic work, and I had gotten behind on my article and devotional writing for this blog, not to mention the fact that I haven't been able to visit my favorite blogs in weeks!). Dr. Jemison wants to see me back in 4-6 weeks(after I've returned to my regular activites and have been doing them again for a while) to see how things are going, as ganglion cysts can and often do return(for when they reduce in size, they do just simply that-reduce-but don't go away completely-the cyst wall, etc. is still intact in my hand/wrist area). If, after returning to my regular duties my cyst comes back, then I may have to have surgery to remove it. However, ganglion cysts are pesky little things, and after surgery, another one could form. So, please continue to pray for me, that the Lord's will would be done first and foremost, and that, if He wills, my wrist would be healed for good. Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers and loving concern!

I don't feel that I can apologize enough for the article and devotional delays. I know you are all very patient and understanding, but I almost feel as if I've failed you all. I know this whole wrist thing couldn't be helped, but I feel terrible for making you wait so long for blog posts. Thank you all so much for bearing with me! You are all such a God-send, and I pray that He blesses richly each and every one of you!!

If there's one thing I've learned throughout this whole ordeal, it's that I must not plan things of my own accord and leave the words Deo Volente(God willing) out! So often I've published posts promising that certain articles, etc. would be published in a certain time frame. And each time I've left those precious words out. And guess what? Each time, the Lord has postponed my plans, teaching me the very gracious lesson that I'm NOT in control-HE is! I'm so thankful that He's taught me this; I only regret that through this time of learning, you've all had to wait so long. The following passage has been one of great conviction for me lately: " Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” ~James 4:13-15(emphasis added!). Therefore, I will not be promising a certain time for when my stay-at-home daughterhood article series, etc. will be posted. But I will say this: I will begin posting the articles(once they're completed) included therein very soon Lord willing! :)

Thank you all again so much for your goodness to me!

May you have a very blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!

New Development: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

It appears that all my computer time, writing for school and this blog, crocheting, bread dough kneading, etc., has led to my having carpal tunnel syndrome. A couple months ago, I was noticing that as I would write or knead bread dough, my right wrist would seem really weak and would hurt at times. I didn't think anything of it, as I thought it would go away. When I was in Indiana, however, I made a batch of my wheat bread, and after kneading it for 24 minutes!!(due to the weather and atmosphere, I suppose), I looked down and noticed that there was a bump on my hand, just above the left side of my wrist. I felt it and noticed it felt fleshy. Later that night however, it felt hard. I then knew something was up! I have since been doing research on the computer(I'm very thankful for Google, I must say! :)), and have come to the conclusion that I'm now suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. I read that when someone has carpal tunnel, they always suffer from swollen soft tissue in the wrist or hand near the wrist. I also have most of the symptoms and there is also a history of carpal tunnel in my extended family. I didn't even know teens could suffer from carpal tunnel(I always thought adults were the only ones who got it), but discovered I was wrong when my dear friend Jasmine did a blog post about her CTS. I also read online that CTS can be caused by a previous wrist injury(such as a fracture) followed by a whole lot of activity with that hand. About 5 years ago while I was in Indiana, I was pushed down by the daughter of one of my mom's childhood friends, and this resulted in my falling on my right wrist. It hurt pretty badly, but I thought it was probably just a sprain or strain. It turns out that may have indeed been all it was, or it could have been a minor fracture. Either way, we're pretty sure I have CTS. We bought a wrist brace while in Indiana, but it's not one specifically for CTS, so we'll be purchasing a new one soon. In the mean time, I will be taking a break(about a week long unless I notify you otherwise) from the computer and my blog. This will be really hard for me to do, but it's important that I take care of my wrist at this time, to prevent it from getting worse(I don't fancy the idea of wrist surjury at all, but especially seeing as how I'm right handed!). Therefore, adieu for this week, dear readers!!

I'll miss you all greatly.

Safe Return from Indiana!

We arrived home safely yesterday evening from our wonderful, wonderful trip to Indiana to visit my great-grandparents. I've never had such a special time, nor such a fun one either! I didn't even want to leave to return home. I can't wait to post for you pics and commentary from the trip! I've missed you all terribly. I hope all is well with each of my dear readers.

Blessings,

Miss Rebekah

Back Safely! :)

This will, regretfully, be a very short post! :/

We arrived home safely from our wonderful trip last night at around 12:30 am. We were delayed in our arriving home by the fact that my dear little brother got sick about 3 hours after eating a hamburger at McDonald's! That may be just a coincidence, and he may actually have a bug, or he may really have food poisening. Either way, by God's grace, he's doing much better this morning.

Our vacation was wonderful! It was so great to visit with family, meet my new little 7 week old cousin, and visit Voddie Baucham's church(and meet my dear friend Jasmine! :)). More info about our trip as well as pics from it will be posted asap.

A huge thank you to all who commented on my blog during my vacation. It's a joy to know that my dear readers follow my blog just as much when I'm here as when I'm not. There are many comments I received that I must respond to, but cannot at the present, for we are unpacking, trying to get our house back in order, do school, etc. etc. All comments will be responded to asap, though! There are also many posts that will soon be published on the subject of Gov. Palin and women in leadership positions. While on vacation, I received the extremely common question, "What about Deborah??" I will be addressing this subject as well asap. Please be patient! :)

Many blessings to all!

Update on the Progress of Upcoming Stay-at-home Daughterhood Article Series

I've received numerous e-mails and comments about my upcoming stay-at-home daugherhood article series, and I'm so thankful! The Lord has been so gracious to generate such an interest in this important series. I'm so happy that the word has spread and that so many families are excitedly anticipating this series.

One of the most popular questions I'm receiving right now is: "When will the series be posted??", so I feel that I need to give you all an update on the series' progress! :) I've completed the introduction to the series and am editing the "Biblical Case for Stay-at-home Daugherhood" article. I'm currently preparing for the second full-length article which will be on the subject of why stay-at-home daugherhood is so important to God and why feminism thus so adamantly attempts to destroy it. During our trip(driving to Arkansas, then driving to Texas, and finally driving back up to Tennessee), I will be reading a book that will prove, I'm sure, to be most helpful in my endeavors. The book is entitled Karl Marx on Education, Women and Children, and I'm sure will help much in my mission to uncover the hand Mr. Marx had in the Women's Rights movement, and ultimately, in feminism.

So, that's where I am right now in my preparation and writing of this series! :) As soon as the Biblical Case article and the article mentioned above are completed, then I will begin posting the series, with the introduction on a Friday and one article on each of the following Fridays. During these first 3 weeks when the introduction and first 2 parts of the series are being posted, I will continue to write the other installments of this series, and post 1 on each following Friday, until all has been posted.

During this writing and preparation time, I ask that you would all please pray for me, that the Lord would give me the words He wants me to write and that His hand would be on this series, blessing it and making it fruitful.

It is my humble prayer that the Lord would use this series in amazing ways to reform our families, churches and nations, and take all Christians back to the "old paths, wherin there is life".

Question Received on the Subject of Modesty

I recently received the following question:

I had a question for you about your sewing. Last summer I bought several dresses before I understood about dressing modestly. I still love the style and fabric of the dresses but would like to add length and make them not so low cut. Do you have any ideas to do that to dresses (or other articles of clothing so I'm not getting rid of much loved clothing and not spending tons of money for a new wardrobe but can make them modest. )

~Anonymous

Anonymous,

First of all, what a great question! I'm so glad you asked it! Secondly, praise God for His working in your life, to bring you to the joys and blessings of modesty! That's so wonderful. I also must say that I really admire your desire to be frugal-that's a great and very helpful

characteristic for a woman to have!

I'm not the most skilled sewer by any means, but I'd be happy to share with you some tips I have. First off all, I often wear a tank top or cami of some sort with tops and dresses that are cut low. Layering like this is really cute and fun, and adds some unique detailing to your outfit. You can also go to a fabric store to search for some fabric that will match your dress and then possibly sew that to the top of the dress front. You could also buy some lace and sew that to the front if the article of clothing is just an inch or two too low. Also, with some patterns, you can, when cutting the fabric out, lengthen the bottom of the article of clothing, or make it higher in the front. You can't do this with all patterns though, so be careful! If you have a pattern that this can be done with, then do not cut along the line of the pattern piece where you want to add length-instead, cut a few inches above it.

As to adding length to the bottom of skirts or dresses, I would suggest adding some lace or detailing to the end of the skirt or dress. You could also purchase some fabric to match and make your skirt a multi-fabric skirt, which are really cute!

Also, if you're in need of modest clothing but don't want to spend much, I encourage you to check out thrift stores and resell shops. You can find some really cute, like-new dresses and skirts for low prices.

My dear friend Allison gave some great ideas in the comment section of this post:

"**Anonymous: My sister and I have added pieces to make sleep-shirts not so low-cut, so it's kind of the same idea. I'm not an expert seamstress at all, and it might depend on the kind of dress it is, but if you simply find a material that matches, you can sew it on the inside of the dress to make it higher-cut. My sister also added length to her sleep-shirt, but she ended up not liking it because she couldn't take very far steps or sit down well. Keep that in mind--unless you add a material that's stretchy or have a dress that flares quite a bit, you might have some trouble doing stuff in it! However, my sister's was a sleep-shirt, so it's not quite the same thing. :) Also, with some shirts or dresses I layer them with a tanktop to make them more modest. Hope this helps a little! In Christ, Allison"

Thanks so much for your help and great advice, Allison!

I hope her tips and mine prove helpful to you, anonymous!

**Input requested: do you have any tips for this lady? If so, please write about them in the comment section.


*this is scheduled post #1-I'm currently on vacation.

Should Women Vote?

In light of the fact that this is the anniversary week of Women's Suffrage, I issue forth a question that I hope all my readers will take the time to answer:

In your opinion, should women have ever been given the right to vote? Why or why not?

When I return from vacation, I will weigh in with my own opinion on this subject and the reasons behind my beliefs in this area.

Thank you very much for your input, everyone!

*P.S. I will be leaving for vacation tomorrow morning, Sat. Augu. 29th. I'm currently writing up numerous posts which will be scheduled to be published while I' m gone. I will have brief computer access while on vacation, so I will be moderating comments and may publish an unscheduled post while on vacation! :) Have a blessed weekend everyone, and a great Labor Day!

Sen. John S. McCain's VP pick: Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin

Just when we thought America was going to be able to go through another election year without the possibility of a woman in the White House(as either Pres. or VP), our hopes were dashed with the news of today.

Sen. John S. McCain has chosen Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin to be his VP, which means that we may very well have a female Vice President-for the first time in American history. Gov. Palin is the first Republican woman in history to ever be on a Presidential ticket. It's dicouraging that even that political party which has always been more conservative is now ok with picking a woman to be on the ticket. Secondly, it was saddening to hear Sarah Palin's speech where she said, "It's such an honor to be chosen VP on a day so close to the anniversary of women's suffrage." It's a sad time in our nation's history, as even more and more, America falling under the curse found in Isaiah 3:12:

"As for My people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them."

America has, for too long, been apostate in its beliefs, actions, laws, disrespect for God, etc., and God is not willing to just sit back any longer. If we do not begin, as a country, to return to the "old paths wherein there is life", we will face the judgment and wrath of God on our nation. It is time that we fall on our knees and repent of our unfaithfulness to God and His Word. Only then will there be hope of reformation.

In light of this news, I will be posting(when I return from vacation) an updated and expanded version of my article, "The Curse of Women Rulers", which is an article based on Is. 3:12 and which was originally written when Hillary Clinton was running for President. I pray that this updated version will be a blessing and will be used by God to help turn our nation back Him.

New Dress! :)

A few weeks ago, McCalls patterns at one of our local fabric stores were on sale for $1 each. I really need work on my sewing(a very important skill for a young woman to have!), so we bought a few of the patterns. I found one in particular that I really loved, so I decided to begin with that one. We found some fabric we liked and began the dress making process. My mom was a huge help to me (such as with explaining what the pattern was telling me to do! :)) as I did the sewing. I did the majority of the sewing myself, but my mom was a huge help in the areas I wasn't comfortable with doing yet(such as the hem, etc). I'm so pleased with the finished product.

Though the pattern was found in the regular dress section of the McCall's book, it is a Pride and Prejudice/ Regency era dress. I had been really wanting to have a more casual dress like this(my dear mother made me a fancy one for the Father Daughter retreat in April), and am so pleased with the outcome. I wore it to church this past Sunday and received numerous compliments. It's so pretty, comfortable and gloriously feminine! :)

Here are pics of it:

What do you think?

Please understand.........

A couple weeks ago, I received an e-mail that, in part, read as follows:

"This shall be my last mail. I left a comment on your blog but unfortnately it never showed up. I also sent you an email in which I told you all about my blog and asked you to help me out in terms of the Christian outlook towards life ( as I believed your blog to be a very good example of one) but unfortunately I never recieved a reply. As you had mentioned in your blog that you are "very eager" to recieve replies and comments, I would have thought that as a fellow human being you would have considered sending a short reply to my mail concerning what I have undertaken to achieve and my desire for help. But unfortunately it was very disappointing for me to realise that apparantly you only allow the posts which are along you "own" mentality and any posts (even though in the most respectable format) not in accordance are never acceptable. I was very much looking for a comprehensive dialogue but to my dismay found only an irritating silence."

I wrote the following in response(this is a portion of what I wrote):

"Please forgive me, dear one, for not yet responding to you. Yes, I did read your sweet and loving comment and your e-mail. That's all I've been able to do so far- I haven't been able to respond to the comment of yours on my blog yet. And I don't like to post comments on my blog if I can't immediately respond to them(if they're ones that really require a response, that is!), because that makes the readers of my blog and the one leaving the comments feel like their input is useless and like they won't ever get a response back. Therefore, I thought the wise thing to do would be then to read all my comments, post the ones I can at that moment, and asap get back to the ones I can't, then responding to them asap. However, I see that wasn't the wise way to handle it, as I see how you're hurt. And I fully understandI can't tell you how very sorry I am, and how burdened I am knowing that I hurt you. This is a very busy season in my family's life right now-we're trying to get everything prepared for starting up our homeschool stuff again here in a couple weeks, we have various activities, we've got two trips coming up, I'm preparing a baby blanket for my brand new little cousin who we will be visiting for the first time during our first trip coming up, etc. etc. I'm not saying all this to try to justify myself, or excuse my foolish folly away. I'm simply trying to give you a glimpse into my life, so that you can know without a shadow of a doubt that I'm NOT ignoring you, or wanting to somehow post only comments that are to my liking, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth, and so I'm trying to help you see that. I ask you to please look further on my blog-I post MANY comments that I disagree with(not that I was disagreeing with yours-I wasn't!). I partake in Christian debate often. But I have to choose what's most important in these busy times. And that's my family. If I'm going to have a blog speaking out on how we young ladies should serve our families, then I have to live that out-not just talk about it on my blog and then not actually practice what I preach! There have been times where I've felt so obligated to all the numerous people on my blog, that I have let family responsibilities go by the way side. And I can't do that! That's not pleasing to the Lord! He doesn't want me on the computer all day, but of course, neither does He want me ignoring my dear, treasured readers. And trust me, there have been times where I've felt like breaking down, because I feel so overwhelmed! I feel like I have huge obligations to everybody, and wonder how in the world I can fit them all in. This has warn me thin at times. Therefore, I'm trying to go about these issues in a wiser manner. However, I see from your hurting e-mail that I failed. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anyone else. I still have other numerous comments I still must get to and respond to. I'm just trying to find the time to without letting anything slip through the cracks! I want to serve my family like I am Biblically commanded to, and yet I also have a calling from the Lord to minister to my readers. I understand that I should have sent at least a short e-mail to you, to assure you that I was interested. It was very, very unwise for me to not do that. I see that now(I should have seen it then!!!) and I'm terribly sorry. I pray that this e-mail has patched things up. I truly am so sorry. I can't apologize enough. If there's anything I can do, let me know. I look forward to hearing from you in the future, dear. I would like more information about the vision you have for your project, and what it would be about!! Once again, I am sorry. Please accept my humble apology. And please pray for me, that I would be more skilled in time management in the future!"

By God's grace alone, everything between me and this dear woman has been patched up. She is one of the most gracious, understanding women I've ever met, and the Lord has seen fit to patch everything completely up between us. My purpose in posting this was to attempt to help my readers understand why I haven't responded to every comment or e-mail I've received lately, and why I haven't even posted every comment. I have around 21 comments currently in moderation for the above mentioned reason. I see that this was not the wise way to go about things at all, but at the time I seemed to think that it was. I see now how wrong I was.

The past couple months have been crazy for me and my family. My mother hasn't been feeling well at all lately(off and on since April actually-she's suffering from low blood sugar type symptoms), we're preparing for 2 trips coming up, we've had to begin our homeschooling things about 3 weeks earlier than we usually do due to these trips, we've had to prepare for this school year, etc. etc. This is why I haven't been posting regularly or getting back with everyone in the amount of time that I should. I pray that you will all please understand and be as gracious as the dear lady mentioned above. I'm sorry for the delay in responding to all the questions, comments, e-mails, etc. that I've received. Please know that I'm trying my best to get back with all of them asap. But, please don't let this keep you from sending more! In a short time(Lord willing) everything will be back to normal, and I will be getting back with everyone much, much quicker. Please know that I believe the more e-mails and comments, the merrier! :) I LOVE hearing from my readers. Every comment and e-mail(whether I agree with the thoughts therein or not) is highly treasured. So, please comment, ask questions and e-mail as much as you'd like. EVERYTHING will be responded to. That is my promise to you, my dear readers!

So, thank you for standing by me in this busy time, and for being so patient and understanding. You are all such a God-send. May He richly bless you all-each and every one of you!

Blog Updates Scheduled for this weekend!

If you visit my blog tomorrow and or Sunday, please don't be disturbed by the look of my blog's sidebar! :) This weekend, it will be under construction. I'll be moving things around, adding features, and getting everything into the order I want. By Monday, my sidebar will be new and vastly improved(Lord willing!).

I pray that all of you, dear readers, have a blessed weekend and special Lord's Day.

Coming Monday will be a couple very informative posts that none of you will want to miss, so be sure to be on the lookout for those! :)

Have a blessed day, everyone!

1 Year Anniversary! Praise God!

Yesterday, August 12th, 2008, was By HIS Grace and for HIS glory's 1 year blog anniversary! I simply cannot believe that one year has passed already since I began this blog in the hopes of reaching out to the young women of the world. The Lord has been so merciful this past year and has blessed this ministry beyond words. When I began the blog, I had sincerely hoped that word about it would spead, but I didn't know how popular(in # of readers, that is) it would become or how the Lord would work. I stand in absolute awe of the Lord! He has spread the word about this blog ministry of mine in such a manner that is beyond my wildest dreams. I'm so thankful to the Lord for His grace and abundant mercy. I would not have this blog were it not for HIS grace, and the reason I do have this blog is to bring HIM glory. My sole mission is to bring my merciful Savior glory and honor. I have a heart that is burdened by the way our culture is these days. I'm severely saddened when I see young ladies in the world today without hope and without direction in their lives. They've just bought into the lies of feminism, humanism, etc. that their cultures have sold them. The Lord has placed this burden on my heart, just as He has also placed there the desire to see things turn around. My desire is that this blog would be used by the Lord to impact the women of this world and would encourage them to turn back to "the old paths wherein there is life" (and joy and fulfillment, I might add! ;)).

1 year and 321 posts later, the vision and mission behind this blog remains the same as it was the day I created it. Here is what I posted the day my blog's history began:

Hi, everyone! Welcome to my blog! I'm so glad that each and every one of you is here to visit and hope you will come back quite often, as well as tell your friends and family about it! This blog is dedicated to encouraging, strengthening, and edifying girls and young women as they seek to return to the beauties of home and family, Biblical femininity, modesty, discreetness, chasteness, humility, and Biblical daughterhood and womanhood.

I hope that this blog will be a breath of fresh air to you, and be a haven where you can be girded, strengthened, encouraged, and prepared for the battle before us in the savagely humanistic, feministic culture in which we live. I pray this blog and its posts will encourage you as you grasp the Biblical vision of returning to the glorious and noble missions of Biblical femininity and womanhood in the midst of a culture that is disgusted with and belittles anything or anyone who is distinctly feminine and ladylike: a homemaker, a submissive wife/daughter, one who loves and enjoys the noble titles of virtuous daughterhood, submissive wifehood, blessed motherhood, or someone who enjoys and takes great joy from being a helpmeet (or helpmeet in training). This world desperately needs more young girls who will embrace this vision now, and who will grow into noble, virtuous, God-fearing women. We need girls and young ladies who will grow up to be godly and virtuous women who love and are not afraid to have the precious titles of wife, mother, and homemaker (titles that were lovingly God-ordained exclusively for women). Girls who have no concern or desire to look "cool" in the world's eyes or to please them, but rather desire to bring glory and honor to and please their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has bought them with a price.

The following beautiful poem so clearly depicts this truth:

The Need of the Hour

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

What does our country need? Not armies standing
With sabers gleaming ready for the fight;
Not increased navies, skillful and commanding,
To bound the waters with an iron might;
Not haughty men with glutted purses trying
To purchase souls, and keep the power of place:
Not jeweled dolls with one another vying
For palms of beauty, elegance and grace.

But we want women, strong of soul, yet lovely
With that rare meekness, born of gentleness;
Women whose lives are pure and clean and holy,
The women whom all little children bless:
Brave, earnest women, helpful to each other,
With finest scorn for all things low and mean:
Women who hold the names of wife and mother
Far nobler than the title of a queen.

Oh! These are they who mould the men of story,
These mothers, ofttime shorn of grace and youth,
Who, worn and weary, ask no greater glory
Than making some young soul the home of truth;
Who sow in hearts all fallow for the sowing
The seeds of virtue and scorn for sin,
And patient, watch the beauteous harvest growing
And weed out tares which crafty hands cast in.

Women who do not hold the gift of beauty
As some rare treasure to be bought and sold,
But guard it as a precious aid to duty-
The outer framing of the inner gold;
Women who, low above their cradles bending,
Let flattery's voice go by, and give no heed,
While their pure prayers like inscense ascending:
These are our country's pride, our country's need.

I pray that this beautiful poem was an encouragement to you to be godly young women to the glory of God in the middle of this world which scorns all things feminine and lovely.
May the Lord richly bless you and grant to you strength as you strive to glorify, please and honor Him through Biblical femininity, amidst a world and culture who belittles such ladies.

By His grace and for His glory,
Rebekah Ann Shadoin

*The above poem is an excerpt from the beautiful book entitled, Verses of Virtue: The Poetry and Prose of Christian Womanhood. It is compiled and edited by Elizabeth Beall Phillips, mother to 8 children, and wife of Doug W. Phillips, Esq., the President of Vision Forum, Inc. This book is available through http://www.visionforum.com/, and I would very highly recommend it to each and every one of you young ladies out there who are seeking encouragement regarding your vision of noble daughterhood and womanhood.

This was the first post that I ever published, and my feelings on these subjects remain the same. My purpose and mission is the same. I praise God, from Whom all blessings flow, for blessing this first year so richly. I do not deserve His blessings, but He lavishly bestowed them upon me anyway. All glory goes to Him and Him alone! Through the past year, I have met the sweetest young ladies in the world. These dear girls have become my closest friends, and I thank the Lord for them. I have also been so blessed by the comments of many women(and a few men!) who have visited this blog and have given me encouragement and grace. To all of the people who have ever commented on my blog(whether you agreed with me or not): thank you. Thank you for leaving your comments. The wonderful comments and e-mails I receive are what makes blogging so wonderful. I'm so thankful that the Lord has spread the word about my little corner of the blogosphere, and by so doing, has allowed me to meet and converse with such wonderful people. I pray that He continues to spread the word and make my blog known to even more people in the coming year of ministry. Praise God for His goodness and grace!

I have such a big vision for the next year of this blog! There are so many, many articles and article series that I will be posting in the next year that I'm so excited about! I will be branching this ministry out(Lord willing) with many more posts, new blog features, and some new ministry ideas that I cannot disclose at the moment. :) Needless to say, I'm very excited! All glory and honor belongs to my wonderful Savior, Who I know has wonderful plans for this blog and its upcoming year.

In closing, I would like to issue forth another huge thank-you to all the readers of my blog. This blog is for YOU and each and every one of you make it a success. Thank you for your gracious comments, your faithful reading of this blog, and for your friendship and mentorship. May you all experience the Lord's richest blessings.

By HIS grace and for HIS glory,

Miss Rebekah Ann S.

*beautiful photo courtesy of http://www.allposters.com/

Surprise Pics Installment 2! ;)

Here's installment number 2 of the surprise pics I promised you all. I had so much fun doing installment 1, because I thoroughly enjoyed your excited and sweet comments. :) I could tell that you were all having fun with this, and that was neat.

So, here is installment 2, with pics from 1994 and 1995. Remember-I was born in July 1992, so keep that in mind and you'll know approximately how old I am in these! :)

1994:

Dental hygiene is very important! :)

Don't you just love my curls? :) This is around the time of my second birthday. We went up to one of my very favorite places-the corn field and country area of Indiana to visit my great-grandparents for the first time! I've always had fun up here, but it wasn't until recently that I've really come to appreciate my great-grandparents so very much. This was my first croquet game!! :) Now I enjoy playing croquet at the Vision Forum father/daughter retreats!

Having a very important talk with my grandfather! :) This is my mom's dad. I think this is just such a sweet picture.

Already preparing to be a homemaker! :) I LOVED that little stove. It was definitely the best gift for me!

Christmas 1994. Believe it or not, I'm only 2 years and 5 months in this picture! Amazing, itsn't it? I've always looked much older than my actual age.

1995:

While living in Texas near my grandparents(where we lived until I was 12 1/2, when we moved up here to Tennessee), it became a tradition beginning in 1995 for my grandmother(my mom's mom) to take me to a great big field of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes for an annual photo. I have some sweet memories of these special and fun times. :)

July 12th, 1995-my 3rd birthday! :) Once again, I look much older than I really am.

Christmas morning, 1995. Preparing already to be a mommy. :) This was one of my first, if not my first, doll. I was SO happy to receive her and her special stroller. I named her Jessica, and took her with me wherever I went, to care for her and take care of her. :) I still have her to this day-she's tucked away in my room near my window seat, ready to be given to my(Lord willing) first born daughter. :)

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my childhood. :) More pics(from 1996 and 1997) will be posted soon!

Summer Blowout Sale!

Have you been ministered to through Crystal Paine and her Biblical Womanhood site? Have you been wanting to purchase all of her Christ-exalting e-books, but never thought you had the money to?

Well, now you do! Only for today, Wednesday July 30th, Mrs. Paine is very generously offering up for sale all of her e-books for the amazing price of only $5.97!! This is an over $100 value!

This is an exceptionally great deal when you consider the fact that each of these e-books can be printed out if you prefer to read them as actual booklets! You don't have to read them on the computer if you rather not.

So, please go here to show this wonderful lady your support, while at the same time, getting your hands on some wonderful, Christ-honoring products.

:)

Surprise Pics Installment 1! :)

As I disclosed a couple days ago, the surprise "gift" I was going to be giving you all in honor of my 16th birthday was the ability to see various pictures from the first 16 years of my life. I thought you all might enjoy this, so I hope you have fun viewing the following glimpses into my life. :) This is installment 1, with more pics to follow on Monday.

Enjoy! ;)

1992:

Me and my dear Mother on July 12th 1992
What fun!
Me and my Daddy :)

Getting bigger! :)


1993:
Look how tall I am! (but still not as tall as Daddy!....)
Our family on Easter Sunday, 1993
1st Birthday!!!
Awww..... :)

Only the Lord knows why things don't happen according to our plans. :)

I was going to post the pics on here last night while my father was at our church's Wednesday night men and sons meeting. He didn't end up attending it last night, though, and so in order to not steal away from family time, I didn't post the pictures.

The plan was then for me to post them today obviously! But we've been on the run all day and now that my father's home, I don't believe I should steal away from family time tonight either.

The pics still have to be saved to the computer and then I will post them(unless the Lord has something else planned for me that I don't know about! ;)) tomorrow.

Thank you ladies, for being so gracious and understanding!

A man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps. ~Prov. 16:9!

Without Further Ado........

The surprise pictures will be:

drumroll please.......................

pictures from my first 16 years. :)

I thought it might be fun for all of you to enjoy a little glimpse into my life thus far. I thought you would enjoy seeing what I looked like as a little child, etc. I hope you enjoy the surprise pictures and that they bring a smile to your face! :) The first set of pics will be posted today!

Update Regarding Suprise Pics!! :)

Regretfully, my camera wasn't working and therefore I was unable to post the surprise pics when I wanted to. The camera is up and running again, praise the Lord, so the pics should be posted very soon!! ;)

Special Surprise! :)

As some of you know, my 16th birthday is tomorrow, July 12th. On one's birthday, the day is always centered on them and they are the ones who receive all the gifts. Well, I'm going to turn that around! Either tomorrow or Monday(hopefully tomorrow!!), I will be posting something special for all of you to enjoy. I can only give one hint: there will be special pics posted. :)

Just for fun, would any of you like to make a guess as to what the surprise is? If so, leave your guess in the comment section!

I'm excited about doing this special, fun little thing for all my treasured blog readers.

May the Lord richly bless you this day!

Oh, how I've missed you all!

Where do I begin?? :)

I've missed you all so much and have really missed posting on here and corresponding with you all these past few weeks!

First off, we had a WONDERFUL vacation to Indiana. I will be posting pics from that vacation shortly, and will fill you in on some really special, memorable happenings that took place while we were there! :) The Lord really blessed us during this vacation, to say the least!

We returned from vacation on Sunday night, June 1st, and since then have been trying to get back on track with everything, sort out our summer schedule, begin piano lessons(taught to me by my wonderful mother-more on that later ;)), etc. etc. Have you ever experienced a week or two in your life where you know pretty much what happened during that time, yet you wonder where the time went and whether or not you accomplished anything? Well, that's exactly how I've been feeling the past two weeks.

But, don't fear! This blog will very soon be up and running full swing ahead! :) The article series I mentioned a few posts ago will be begun here on my blog within the week. I will be getting to each and every comment and e-mail I've received in the past month or so(most of which have been on the subject of homemaking and that post I did a few weeks ago!!). Never fear-all your questions, comments, and input will be acknowledged and answered in full! :)

Thank you all so much for your patience. You are all such a God send! God bless you all.